28 May 2024
The fire that destroyed a Maine shed manufacturing building over the weekend was caused by lithium batteries.
The fire broke out Sunday at New England Rent to Own on River Road in Chelsea, according to Maine State Police Lt. Aaron Turcotte.
The blaze started about 1 p.m., the Chelsea Fire Department said.
Video circulating on social media showed a column of black smoke rising from the property.
In a Facebook post, New England Rent to Own said that it lost “building #2,” but stressed that “EVERYONE IS OKAY!”
Once the fire was extinguished, investigators determined that the fire started in an area of the warehouse where lithium batteries were stored. The Maine fire marshal’s office ruled the blaze accidental, Turcotte said Wednesday morning.
No additional information was immediately available.